The "Sow it to Grow it" Challenge!

Isn’t it funny? We know that when we plant onions we aren’t expecting strawberries to pop out.  And when we plant an apple tree, we aren’t looking for string beans to form on it.  The truth is, what you sow is what you expect to grow!  No real surprise there.  And I am going to point out that what is true in nature is true spiritually.  Yep, it really is!!  So, going off of that – why, why, why, do we wonder at the crops we’re growing?  Why do we sow disappointment, fear, anxiety, tiredness, sarcasm, hate, anger, impatience, pride, mistrust, contempt, shame and wonder that our crop contains not one piece of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc..?

OK, please let me confess.  I have tried to reap a good crop by planting bad seed - idiotic, I know. I have responded to the world with what the world dishes out.  I tried to protect, combat, defend and live in a way with the world’s ways by doing the same (only from a self-righteous churchyosity point of view).  Hideous seed!  Not only did it not change one thing in the world, I actually reaped a bumper crop of UGGG-LEE unto myself!  So, yeah, I know about this first hand.  Lil farmer December did not do well at that.

But, a few years ago I had an absolutely amazing opportunity to do the complete opposite.  So guess what – against all my doubts and despite all my fears – I did it.  I stepped out and listened to God’s leading and sowed compassion, outrageous faith, love, joy, patience and “winsome words” in the face of hatred, contempt, sabotage, fear and rejection.  AND…I am STILL REAPING AN AMAZING HARVEST!  And boy is the fruit sweet! I literally have to pinch myself to make sure I’m awake at times.  I’ve never seen the likes of it!  And the world has shifted. I literally went into this with no real expectation of seeing some things change.  I thought, “Okay, God is big and He can do what He wants to here”. But I didn’t think it would be personal things for ME.  Really, I never expected it.  I found that not only did hate turn to kindness, but contempt and rejection turned to acceptance and honor.  And it was not only personal (both in me and around me) but a change for many others and just the whole atmosphere of things in general too! How does that happen?  The seeds, my friends.  Seeds can only produce after their kind.  And, when you do it under God’s direction and guidance – He provides the sunshine, water and all other things needed.  And isn’t that good news?!  Cause, hey, you plant knowing what you’ll get and in line with what God wants to do!! 

So, here it is, I AM CHALLENGING YOU!!   Take the, "Sow It To Grow It" Challenge!!!  Pick the most difficult, discouraging, painful and negative situation, person, place in your life right now – and daily sow love, peace, joy, encouragement, patience, faith, trust, goodness, honor, gentleness into it with intention.  I did this for an extended period of time, but even if you try it for 30 days, it will reap rewards.  But to see a really amazing harvest – go for longer – set a longer goal and the harvest will be much larger.  Hey, map it out if it helps you be mindful – take a calendar and put a daily action you’ll take or note one daily after you’ve done it to keep track – check off a daily action. Find ways (direct or indirect) to sow with gracious generosity into these places, people and/or situations.  Be creative – you don’t have to do something direct with a contentious person to sow into them.  I did many things anonymously and it produced some miraculous things!  And, little seeds can grow some of the biggest plants – so don’t think it takes million dollar gestures to reap big rewards.  In fact, some of the smallest, but sincere efforts are rewarded with the biggest yields!! I loved blessing people and praying for their abundant favor, gladness, joy, health and provision.  And, writing encouraging things anonymously.  Providing little things needed like honor and humility in holding someone else up.   And, I sat with the Lord looking at the person, situation, and place and asking for His eyes for it.  I did things from His point of view and with His vision for it.  In most cases, initially, there was no evidence of anything but barren ground.  And there was where I planted good things with trust that they would grow, leaving it to God as to when and how.  I can’t tell you how lush the growth and harvest has been, but I’m hooked now!  And, I encourage you to take note of what grows, as far as you can tell - but don't hold your expectations of how or what it will be. Sometimes if you are in a situation where you can't see directly, it may be more difficult, but some of those things are the most rewarding when you find out later how things changed. And, some things we won't know til we meet in eternity, but they're still worth sowing and growing! Farmer December is even now sowing into some really hideous ground with cheerful expectancy!!  Oooh – yep, sprouts coming up all over!! Whoot!! Whoot!

So, now, it’s YOUR TURN!  I challenge you!!  Take this challenge and you will be astonished – guaranteed!!  I’d love to hear how you do, so, if you take this challenge, write a response here to let me know how you did it and how it went!   Great or small – share your harvest and it will multiply the harvest to others!!!  The more outlandishly unlikely the person, situation and/or place, the more astonishing your results will be!!! :D Come on – nothing to lose but lots to gain!!!  GO FOR IT!!

CH...CH...CH...CH...CHANGES!!!

So, a couple of months ago, I was working away on some reports (Normal day in every respect). Not really paying attention to anything but numbers. Out of the blue a tsunami wave of despair came over me.  I mean serious and sweeping.  Knocked the breath out of me – it was almost physical.  I was just about to move into the despair when God tapped me on the shoulder and said, “See how scared the enemy is?”  Sheesh, am I thankful God got my attention.  I began rejoicing and praising!!!  Now, mind you, this wave did not cease – it was pretty relentless, but with every thought of hopelessness that came through my mind I began to see the actual reality that God is unfolding instead and BOY DID I GET ENCOURAGED!!!  I see how much the ground is being established and how it's moving the Kingdom forward and THAT matters to the enemy.  It was fantastic and a great opportunity to practice staying focused.  If God had not gotten my attention right away I would have been hurting.  But, because He did, I did not get distracted or caught up in enemy’s energy draining nonsense.  AND I enjoyed seeing the progress and impact of things and participating in rejoicing and praying in line with it.  God you are SOO GREAT!  I do get attacks at different times – I usually recognize it quickly, but there are times where I sort of wander about under the horrible cloud until I finally begin to see it and say, “Hey, wait a minute!”  Sometimes my flesh gets triggered from old woundings and it’s completely me.  But, the enemy of my soul also has a stake in seeing me sidelined and distracted (it’s really all that’s left to him after Jesus trounced him).  He can’t possess what belongs to Christ, but he certainly does try everything in his power to keep those in Christ from being effective. He’s seems quite successful in this with the church in some ways...but not for long!!!!

One place I see lots of sidelining in the church is with the focus on shame.   The enemy keeps God’s people tied up in this a lot and it literally keeps people from living into their real identities!  In some church circles I hear, “We know we’re not worthy and there’s nothing good about us”.

It is a fact that all of our worth is in and from God.  Our value is established by how much God loves us.  He values us so much that He gave His only Son for us!  And, He wants us to be forever one with Him.  Now try to wrap your head around THAT good news!!!  We are no longer in the same state we were before receiving Him either – heck we are now on a road growing into the image of Christ!  But some talk sure sounds like we ought to be ashamed (Hmmmm…where’s that coming from?)!  We are a new creation and old things have passed away. I don’t mean to say we should not get real about sin – but, people in the church generally are not always getting real with their specific sins at all.  In fact I would go as far as to say that in some cases I suspect people who assign themselves to be the “attitude” police are really fending off addressing specific sins by donning the mask of false humility.  Regularly saying “I’m not worthy” sounds religious and humble. But, it’s a little insidious because we may really feel it generally and yet making such a general statement sort of lets us off the hook from the truly tough job of digging and uncovering very REAL specific sin that still plagues us.   

The church should be the safest place to be real about sin (and OHHHH it’s changing!!), but, in some places it’s still about a contest to “look” good enough to qualify for things rather than being real and authentic about specific things that bind us in order to get free of them. God's working on these pockets of resistance.  These places will not be immune to getting GRABBED and thrown down on their faces in tears by the goodness of God. Nothing wrecks like God’s goodness!  It’s what brings men to repentance!

Now, on the jaw-dropping outrageous side of things – God, in His BIGNESS is shifting the landscape and paradigms where all of this nonsense exists and moving us into a whole new territory.  I am so excited about THAT!  Yes, the Church – The Bride of Christ - mind sets are shifting and people are having God’s spirit poured out upon them and they are responding in amazing ways with God’s power demonstrated in much needed ways!  There really is NO better time to be alive – at least that’s how I see it.  The world has an agenda, but it will never override the overcoming KINGDOM agenda!!  So world, enemy, – do your best!  Every effort will be used to refine and renew The Bride until she rises pure and invincible!  Haha!! So great!